


Expendable

by jncar



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Charming Family Feels, F/M, Gen, previews for s3ep8
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-16
Updated: 2013-11-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 17:43:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1046698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jncar/pseuds/jncar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Henry loses his heart to Pan he gets help from an unlikely source, and the entire Charming family gets a chance to see a different side of Hook. Eventual Captain Swan. Inspired by the preview and sneak peak for episode 3.08, so contains spoilers from those sources.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will be two chapters long. Since this is inspired by promotional material for season 3 episode 8, I'm trying to get both chapters up before the episode airs. Enjoy!

Emma dashed into the cave, the rest of her group at her back just in time to see Henry collapse to his knees while Pan began rising into the air above him.

Something had gone horribly wrong.

"No!" She rushed toward Pan, brandishing her cutlass.

The maniacal boy-demon just laughed and flicked his hand. A wave of magic struck her, pushing her backward into Neal and Regina.

She turned her eyes back to Henry. He'd fallen to his hands—he looked weak, in pain. She had to get to him.

With a twang, Mary Margaret loosed an arrow overhead at the still ascending Pan. He brushed it aside like a fly, and grinned down at them spitefully.

"You're too late," Pan gloated. "I have the heart of the truest believer, given to me willingly. Soon, all the magic of Neverland will be mine, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

The spells Regina and Gold threw at Pan dissipated uselessly as Pan flew up and out of an opening in the ceiling of the cave. He disappeared into the night.

Emma didn't want to believe her ears. She couldn’t let herself believe that they were too late. She ran to Henry, dropped to her knees and scooped him into her arms.

"Mom," he moaned weakly, his tear filled-eyes gazing up at her from where she cradled him in her lap. "You came for me."

Her shoulders shook as tears rose in her eyes. "Of course I came. Nothing in the universe would stop me." God, he looked so weak. What had Pan done?

Regina dropped to the ground beside them, grasping Henry's hand, and Neal crouched in front of them while the others gathered around.

"Henry." Regina's voice broke with emotion. "Henry, what happened? What did he do?"

Henry smiled, but he looked pale and sick. "We're saving magic. He needed my heart to replenish the magic in Neverland, and it'll flow out into all the other realms. He's not what you think. He's—"

"You're wrong," said Neal, his voice heavy with despair. "I lived on this island for longer than I care to remember. I know how Pan operates, and you're wrong. He lied to you. He _always_ lies."

Henry's eyes went wide, looking wounded. "No. . . Wendy said. . ."

"Wendy was working with Pan," said Neal flatly. "She's the one who told us the truth. He wanted your heart to make himself immortal. He's not saving anything but himself."

"No." The whispered word escaped Henry's lips and he grew limper in Emma's arms. He turned his eyes up to her, as if searching desperately for some sign that it wasn't true.

Emma felt sick. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. They were supposed to save him. They were supposed to be a family. She gently pushed the hair back from Henry's eyes, her tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't get here in time."

"How long can someone live with their heart in another body?" asked Neal, his face tight with worry.

"A few hours, at most," answered Gold. "The heart will grow accustomed to its new bearer, and slowly but surely its ties to its original body will be severed. And you can be sure that Pan will do his utmost to sever those connections as quickly as possible."

Emma's shoulders shook with her effort to repress the sobs that strove to escape, and the tears in Regina's eyes mirrored her own.

"There's still time, then, if we move fast," said David with his usual determination. Mary Margaret clung to him as if he were the only solid thing in the cave. Emma wished she had something—someone—who she could turn to like that.

"If we can find him," Regina snapped bitterly.

"I think I know where he's going," said Hook softly. 

Emma's heart leaped with hope. Hook knew this island inside out. He had to know. She needed him to know. She looked up to meet his eyes. He held her gaze for a moment before speaking. "Pan said he's going to gather all the magic in Neverland, and the highest concentration of that magic is in the spring, on top of the mountain where I healed David. If there's any place where he can tap into the magic of Neverland and suck it dry, it's at that spring."

Emma's breath shook in her throat. The certainty Hook held in his eyes gave her the strength she needed. "So we follow him. Now."

"It's not as easy as that," said Neal. "It's a long damn climb up that mountain, and you'd better believe Pan will have traps along the way. And then we still have to capture Pan and get Henry's heart back. We might not make it in time." His eyes darted back down to Henry, who still lay limp and hopeless in Emma's arms.

Emma pulled her son a little closer. "We'll just have to take Henry with us so we can get his heart back into him as soon as we've got it."

"It's too dangerous to take him. We can't expose him to those dangers," said Mary Margaret just as Regina growled, "And just how do you expect to do that? If we trap Pan in Gold's box, we'll never get Henry's heart back."

Emma's frustration began to build. "We don't have time to argue! We need to get moving now!"

"Would it buy Henry some time if one of us lent him our heart?" said Neal softly, looking at the ground.

Emma froze, breathless. It couldn't be that simple, could it?

Gold nodded slowly. "One of us could take on the burden of going without our heart. The borrowed heart would be enough to keep Henry alive indefinitely. But if it takes more than four or five hours—six at the most—to retrieve Henry's heart, then whoever lends him their own will die."

Silence fell over the cave as the implications sunk in. A knot grew in Emma's gut. No matter what, someone might not walk away from Neverland.

"It's worth the sacrifice," said Neal, his jaw set. "I'll do it."

Emma's heart leaped. Neal may have screwed up with her, but he was exactly the kind of father Henry needed right now. He could do this. They could make it work. He was strong. He'd last long enough to save Henry's heart.

But her relief stopped short when Hook spoke up. "No. You won't."

"What?" she and Neal said at the same time.

Hook met her gaze, a pleading look in his eyes, and then turned to Neal. "One way or another, Henry is getting off of this island. And he's doing it with his family intact. _All_ of them. Yourself included. If the mission to stop Pan takes too long, we can't have you dying on us. There's only one way to make sure your entire family survives this." 

Emma's throat felt tight. She knew where this was going.

Hook took a deep breath. "Give him my heart. I'm the only expendable one here."

The unexpected pain she felt at the tone of resignation in his voice brought new tears to her eyes.

"Hook—I'm his father," said Neal, rising to his feet.

"Which is exactly why you need to stay alive. You and I both know how much a boy needs his father." Hook stared Neal down, the tension thick between them.

Hook lowered his voice and spoke again, still holding Neal's gaze. "I abandoned one boy to Pan a long time ago. It's a mistake I don't plan to repeat. Let me do this."

Emma held her breath. After all Hook had done for her over the past week—after all the support he'd shown her, she shouldn't be surprised by this. Yet, she was. He was the one person on earth who constantly surprised her in a good way. But this was more than she'd ever expected.

She could feel the weight of the gaze exchanged by the two old friends before Neal finally nodded. "Okay."

"Let's get on with it, then," said Regina, rising to her feet with a cold edge to her voice. Without hesitation she closed the short distance to Hook and plunged her hand into his chest.

Emma gasped involuntarily and hugged Henry a little closer as she watched Hook's eyes widen in shock and more than a little pain. Seconds later Regina pulled her hand out, holding the red glowing heart in her hand. Hook staggered back, looking shell-shocked.

Henry's eyes were wide with fear as he looked up at Hook and Regina. "You don't have to do this," he said weakly.

Hook caught his breath. "Don't worry, lad. I'll be alright."

Regina knelt beside them again, cradling the heart in her hands. "Please, trust me, Henry. This will keep you strong and well while we find Pan and stop him. You'll be fine." Her voice wavered as she met his eyes. "Do you believe me?"

Henry swallowed and nodded. "I believe you. Go ahead."

Emma eased her grip on her son, exposing his chest to Regina. She held her breath while Regina slowly and gently slipped the heart into Henry's chest.

He closed his eyes and shuddered a little in her arms as the heart settled into place. Then he took a deep breath, opened his eyes, sat up and clambered to his feet, pushing away Emma's hands, though she wished she never had to let go. 

"It worked!" he exclaimed. "I feel amazing! I'm ready to go. I'm the one who messed up. I need to be the one to fix it. Let's get Pan."

"Henry—" said Mary Margaret.

Neal stepped toward his son and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Your grandmother is right. We came here to save you. To protect you. There are a lot of dangers out there, and I won't lead you into any more of them. You need to stay here and stay safe."

Emma rose to her feet, knowing that she'd have to join in. Henry couldn't go back into danger—not after they'd fought so hard to get him back.

But Gold spoke up before she could chime in. "Henry won't be the only one staying behind. You can't fight magic with swords or arrows. Nothing but more magic will do. Those of you who don't have it, stay behind. You'll only slow us down."

Neal spun in his heels to face his father. "Wait, what? No way am I backing down from Pan after what he did to my son."

"Yes, Bae," said Gold, stepping a little closer to Neal, "you are. The Lost Boys are still out there, lurking about. You need to fortify this cave and prepare to defend it against attack. Regina, Emma and I will go to the mountain. We'll face Pan while the rest of you wait here."

Emma felt a chill run down her back. "Wait a minute—I don't know if this is such a good idea. I only just started learning to control my magic. I have no idea how to use it to fight Pan."

"Your instincts are better than you know, dearie," countered Gold. "And your magic is strong. We'll need all the magic we can get to contain Pan without using the box. That means _you_. Or would you rather leave your pirate's heart in Henry's chest and run for your life? That's the easy solution."

"No!" The word was out of Emma's mouth before she even thought it. Letting Hook die wasn't an option. He might think he was expendable, but over the last week he'd become anything but. "No," she repeated, soft but firm. "We're doing this the right way. We're stopping Pan and we're getting Henry's heart back." Her eyes flicked to Hook, and the confidence and trust she saw in his eyes took her breath away. "I'll do whatever it takes to get us all home."

Gold nodded, and Emma dropped her gaze back to Henry. She didn't have time to think about the stirring she felt in her gut every time Hook looked at her like that. Especially not now. Not with his heart on the line. The clock was ticking. They had to hurry.

"Let's go," said Regina. She turned to give Henry a big hug. "Stay with your father and grandparents. Don't leave their sight, no matter what. I won't lose you again. I love you, Henry."

"I love you, too, Mom," said Henry, hugging her back. For the first time, Emma felt no jealousy at the sight of Henry and Regina hugging. They were in this together, and if they came out of the other end alive and well, she'd find a way to make Regina family. Hopefully Regina would do the same for her in return.

Regina turned to David and Mary Margaret. "Take care of him. Whatever it takes."

The couple nodded. David spoke. "Nothing will take him away from our family, again. I promise."

Emma stepped forward to hug Henry. "I'll come back for you, kid. Always."

"I know," he said, burying his face in her side. "Stay safe."

"I will." Emma turned to give short hugs to David and Mary Margaret, but Mary Margaret clung to her longer than she'd planned.

"Come back to us, Emma," she said. "I love you."

Emma closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Her relationship with her parents would never be what she wished it could be, but she knew one thing for certain—Mary Margaret was the best friend she'd ever had. "Me too," she whispered back.

After releasing her mom she turned to Neal. She swallowed hard. If something happened to her while fighting Pan, she'd have to count on him to take care of Henry. After hearing his willingness to sacrifice his heart, she felt for the first time that she really could rely on him. She held his gaze for a few moments. "Take care of our son."

"You know I will."

She nodded, and then, feeling an unexpected pain welling in her chest, she turned her gaze to Hook. 

He stood back from the group a little. Always on the outside. Never quite belonging. He was the only one who came here without family ties to drive him. She still wasn't entirely sure why he'd come at all. But she knew she never could have done this without him.

He may not have had a family tie to bring him here—but he had a tie, now. A tie to her. 

She stepped closer to him. "Hook—thank you. Just—thank you."

"It's my honor to be of service," he said, a hollow imitation of his teasing smile on his face. He was trying so hard, but she could see the fear in his eyes. "Be safe," he said earnestly. "Come back from this."

"I will." She swallowed the knot in her throat. "You'd better still be here when I get back."

His smile grew a little brighter. "You can count on it."

There was too much more to say, so she didn't say anything at all.

Instead, she turned to the cave entrance where Gold and Regina stood waiting. "Let's go."

She allowed herself one last look over her shoulder at all the people she cared about most in the world standing below her in the cave. She didn't have to pull her heart out of her chest to leave it here with them—it would stay whether she wanted it to or not.

Emma clenched her teeth, and followed Gold into the darkness.

* * *

Henry squeezed his fists at his sides as he watched both his moms walk out of the cave and leave him behind. 

This was all his fault.

He'd never felt so guilty or angry or frustrated in his life. He wanted to shout and kick things.

He'd thought he was being a hero, but instead he'd just been a fool, falling for Pan's lies. Now his moms were both walking into danger to make up for his mistake and there was nothing he could do about it. If one of them got hurt, he had only himself to blame.

And what about Wendy?

He turned to his dad. "Where's Wendy? Is she safe?"

His dad gripped his shoulder and nodded. "She's okay. Tinkerbell is taking care of her. They'll be waiting for us when we're ready to leave."

A few months ago the thought of meeting Tinkerbell would have thrilled him beyond belief. Now, he didn't even have time to be surprised. All he could feel was disappointment. He'd done all this for Wendy, and once again, he'd failed. He should have trusted in his moms. He should have waited.

"Hey," said his dad, meeting his eyes, "your mom's gonna be alright. She has a way of pulling through no matter how the odds are stacked against her."

"I'd never bet against your mum," said the pirate, standing a few feet away. "I'd lose every time."

Henry studied the black-clad man. What was he even doing here? Henry hadn't heard much about the real Captain Hook, but what little he had heard was all bad. Yet here he was, helping the good-guys.

Almost unconsciously Henry raised his hand to his chest to feel the strong beat of the unfamiliar heart in his chest. Every few beats he'd feel a lurch or a flutter, as if the heart hadn't learned to work properly in his body yet. As he focused on the beating of the heart he felt for a few moments that he could remember thousands of nights under gleaming stars and billowing sails—thousands of nights alone and afraid, missing loved ones who'd been ripped away from him.

Henry shook his head and dropped his hand, snapping back to the present. The pirate had stepped a little closer and extended his good hand, wearing surprisingly friendly smile on his face. "Hello Henry. We haven't been properly introduced, yet. I'm Killian Jones, formerly a Lieutenant in King Albert's royal navy some three hundred years past, and currently captain of the pirate ship Jolly Roger. I'm a friend of your mum and dad."

Henry glanced up at his dad, who nodded. "Yep. Hook and I go way back."

Henry turned back to the man who'd so unexpectedly lent him his heart. He held out his hand to take Killian's, and shook. As their hands joined, he felt a rush of strange images and memories flood through him. Faraway places, flashing swords, dark jungles, and faces—so many faces, all of them gone—all of them lost. Except one—flashing blonde hair and haunted blue eyes hung before him. He'd never seen his mom look like that before, but the image loomed large, dominating all the others.

The images ended along with the handshake, and Henry swallowed hard. Carrying Captain Hook's heart was going to be a strange and uncomfortable experience. 

He sure hoped his moms would be back in a hurry.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My two part story just turned into a 3 part story because I had way too much to say. Part 3 is almost done and should be up by tomorrow morning at the latest. Thanks for reading!

Neal didn't complain when David started giving out orders about erecting a barrier over one entrance to the cave and setting up a defensive position across the other. He had no doubt the prince had a lot more experience with this sort of thing than he did. But he couldn't stop himself from frequently glancing away from his work gathering logs and chopping branches to look at Hook.

He sure as hell wasn't comfortable with that man's heart in his son's chest, but Hook had been right, he was the only expendable one in this group. The fact that he owned up to it—that he made this sacrifice for their family—that was what had Neal confused.

He watched as Hook hacked at a particularly stubborn branch, and frowned. He stomped over and pulled the branch down to give Hook a better angle on it, and then pulled it loose as Hook chopped it free from the tree.

"My thanks, mate," said Hook.

Neal nodded slowly, and then asked the question that had been on the tip of his tongue since Hook first offered Henry his heart. "Why are you here? Why are you doing this? Is it all just to get Emma?"

Hook sighed. "I'm here helping you and your family because it's the right thing to do."

Neal raised his eyebrows. "Really?" Hook didn't honestly expect him to believe that, did he?

Hook narrowed his eyes. "Doing the right thing was once something I did on an alarmingly regular basis, and lately I've found it's a habit I'd like to take up again."

"Because of Emma?" Neal said pointedly.

"Perhaps. In part," Hook admitted. "But in instances such as these, shouldn't the results matter more than the motives?"

"I'm not sure." Neal shook his head, shifting the branch in his arms. There was one more question he had to get off of his chest. "Did you really mean what you said—about regretting handing me over to Pan?"

"Every word of it," replied Hook without hesitation. "You asked me why I'm here—why I'm doing the right thing. Well, though I'd already started to care for Emma when Henry was taken, she's not the reason I came. I came because I found out he was your son. I saw that I finally had a chance to make amends for the act that has haunted me all these long years. To make amends for giving you up. I knew I couldn't let Pan do to your son what he'd done to you. So there's your answer, Baelfire. I didn't come here for Emma. I came here for _you_. To honor your memory."

Neal squeezed his lips together, unable to reconcile the man standing before him with the one who'd stolen his mother away all those years ago.

"Does that surprise you?" asked Hook quietly.

Neal nodded. "After the life I've led nothing should surprise me anymore. But you just managed." He shifted the branch under his arm and turned to haul it back to the cave. He wasn't ready for this conversation. He needed more time to process. He wondered if he'd ever really known Killian Jones at all.

* * *  
Mary Margaret helped Henry arrange branches over the smaller cave opening, and worked to secure them in place with rocks and vines. Every few minutes one of the men, Neal, David or Hook, would come in with a new load of branches to add to their efforts.

"Like this?" Henry asked, pulling his latest knotted vine tight.

She nodded. "That looks perfect. Keep it up and we'll have this cave secure in no time.

Just then Hook stepped through the other entrance pulling a large, leafy branch. Though he was trying to hide it, she could see the weariness on his face, and the sweat of exertion glistening on his brow. He'd given his heart to Henry nearly an hour ago. His body couldn't hold out like this much longer.

After dropping his load he smiled at them, and winked at Henry, before heading back out without another word of complaint.

Though his confession in the echo cave had taken Mary Margaret aback at the time, she hadn't had a chance to give it much thought since. But tonight, after seeing his genuine devotion to helping her family, she was starting to think it wouldn't be such a bad thing for him to love her daughter.

She'd been nervous for her daughter when she first noticed the way Emma seemed to be growing attached to Hook—the way she was coming to rely on him. But now . . . Maybe Emma's happy ending wasn't going to be as straightforward and simple as Mary Margaret had hoped. But it didn't have to be simple to be right.

Goodness knew her happy ending with David was proving to be anything but simple.

The thought brought a new lump to her throat. Would this be all the ending she and David would ever get? Hiding in caves, clinging to each other for any last traces of hope they could find?

She blinked back her tears. She couldn't dwell on this. Not now. She'd deal with it later—once everyone was safe.

* * *  
It took them just over an hour to secure the cave without any signs of the Lost Boys. David sent Henry and Mary Margaret back to a small nook in the back of the cave, while he stood watch with Neal and Hook.

There seemed to be a new tension between the two men, not that he could blame them. Naturally Neal had wanted to be the one to make a sacrifice for his son. However, though David hated to admit it, Hook was right. He was the expendable one here. Emma and Henry needed Neal to go home with them. They needed to be a complete family—all the more so since he and Mary Margaret probably wouldn't be able to go with them.

He clenched his teeth and tried not to think about his uncertain future. He needed to focus on his family right now—not to worry about himself. He looked out into the deep night, staring up at the mountain, wishing he could be there to help.

The attack came more than two hours after Emma left. A volley of flaming arrows came at them first, and David, Hook and Neal leaped out of the way just in time. He saw Mary Margaret darting forward to stomp out the arrows that had landed inside the cave just as a half-dozen shouting boys charged toward them, waving clubs and throwing spears.

The fight was short but intense, and for a few moments David lost sight of his companions. Then, just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. Two boys were back in their small boat, paddling back to the main island, and three boys lay dead on the slope to the cave, another inside the cave itself.

"Is everyone alright?" David called, panting, and looking frantically around.

"I'm good," called Neal, waving from the other side of the cave.

"We're fine!" yelled Mary Margaret from the dark nook where she stood with Henry, clinging to him. 

Only one voice hadn't answered. "Hook?" David called.

"I'm alright mate," came the reply, but he certainly didn’t _sound_ alright, and when David spun to see him leaning against the cave wall as if he could hardly stand, he didn't _look_ alright either.

"Are you wounded?" asked David, striding toward him.

Hook shook his head. "No. Just a bit winded." His eyes darted to Henry cowering in the nook, and then down to the body laying just inside the entrance of the cave. "We need to get that out of here," he said and pushed of the wall to move toward the body.

He only made it a few steps before he wavered on his feet. David leaped toward him to catch the man's arm before he fell.

"This is more than just winded," said David, throwing Hook's arm over his shoulder. "It's the toll of giving your heart to Henry. It's starting to wear on you."

Hook shook his head. "It's not so bad. I just need a little rest. Then I'll be able to get up and back on watch with the rest of you."

"No," said Mary Margaret, striding toward them. "You won't." She worked her way under Hook's other arm, and David followed her lead as she led them back to Henry's dark nook. "You need more than a little rest. You're going to stay back here where it's safe and keep Henry company. We'll take the watch."

"I'll be fine . . ." Hook protested.

"Do what the lady says," replied David. "She doesn't take no for an answer."

Hook sighed as they helped lower him to the floor of the protected nook. He looked up to where Henry stood, staring at him with frightened eyes. David was surprised by the gentleness in Hook's voice when he spoke.

"Don't worry, lad. There'll be no permanent harm done. Your mum'll make it back in time. I've never known her to fail."

Henry took a deep breath and then nodded. "Me neither."

The two of them shared a knowing smile that gave David hope like nothing else had in the past week. Maybe they were right to hope. Good always wins. It always had, and it always would. Maybe there was even a hope of him finding a way to go home with Mary Margaret. He couldn't give up. Not yet.

When he'd first noticed Hook's interest in Emma a few days ago, it had irked David to see a man with a such a dark history acting as if he had a shot at David's daughter. But recent experiences were forcing him to reevaluate that first impression.

None of them really knew Hook. None of them knew his history or his motives or his heart—not really. But that heart hadn't looked black to David when Regina slid it into Henry's chest. It hadn't looked black at all.

* * *  
"Do you want some water?" asked Henry, holding out his canteen to Killian, who looked more than a little sick where he sat propped against the cave wall.

"A few sips. Thanks," he replied, taking the canteen and tipping a little water into his mouth.

Henry still felt uneasy around the man. The strange heart in his chest had taken up a steadier, more stable beat, and he couldn't help but think that as he got stronger and healthier, Killian was getting sicker. He didn't like it. 

Killian handed the canteen back and sighed. "Well, this is quite the agonizing wait, isn't it?"

Henry nodded. "Yep."

"I'll wager you'd far rather be up on that mountain helping your mum, wouldn't you?"

Henry squeezed the canteen in his hands. "Yeah. I would."

Killian nodded, a faint smile on his face. "You and me both." He sighed.

"It's my fault they had to go after Pan in the first place. He lied to me, and I believed him." Henry knocked his head against the stone wall behind him just hard enough for the pain to make tears prick at his eyes. He deserved to feel a little pain right now. Both his moms were off fighting for their lives and Killian sat here dying, all because of him. "I was an idiot."

"Let me tell you a little secret, lad," said Killian, lowering his voice conspiratorially, "we're all idiots. Every last one of us. Grown-ups like to pretend that they've grown out of it, but they never do. Hell, I'm over three-hundred years old, and I'm still an idiot." Killian shook his head. "Don't let it get you down. We all just muddle through, trying to make the best choices we can based on the information life hands us. And sometimes our information is wrong. That's life. We just have to make the best of it."

Henry looked down at his lap. He wasn't sure he completely believed Killian, but it still made him feel a little bit better.

"Hey—how about a story to pass the time while we wait?" asked Killian.

Henry's curiosity was piqued. He felt certain that Killian had plenty of interesting stories to tell. "Okay."

Killian smiled. "Very well. I'll tell you the story of a young naval lieutenant, and his older brother, a captain, and of their voyage to a terrifying magical realm."

Henry smiled.

* * *  
Neal stood outside Henry's nook, just out of sight, listening. He'd wanted to hear what Hook might be saying to his son, and so far it had surprised him.

Hook was telling the story of how he first came to Neverland—not as a pirate, but as an officer in a royal navy.

Neal folded his arms and listened carefully to the story of brotherhood, deception, betrayal, and loss. He'd never heard this story before—never known much of Hook's life before he became a pirate. Neal would hazard a guess that this wasn't a story Hook had told anyone before—except maybe Milah.

Neal's fists tightened. It always came back around to that, didn't it? In the end, Hook was still the bastard who'd stolen his mother.

How could he ever forgive the man who took his mother away from him?

Then he heard Henry laugh at some comment Hook had made, and a realization struck him. Neal had been the one who took Henry's mother away.

If he hadn't left her to take the fall for him—if she hadn't gone to prison—she would have kept her son. They would have tried to raise him together. They would have been a family.

Neal was the reason Henry grew up without his real mom, but Henry had already forgiven him.

He raised his eyes to look at David and Mary Margaret, standing side by side in the cave opening. They'd left their kid alone, too. It seemed to be a family tradition, whether any of them liked it or not.

Was Hook really any worse than the rest of them? David and Mary Margaret thought they were doing the right thing, sending Emma through that portal. And Neal had thought he was doing the right thing when he left Emma alone. While Hook—he'd just had the poor judgment of falling in love with a woman who hated her husband so much she'd been willing to leave her son behind to escape him. Hook had probably thought he was saving her from a bad marriage. He'd probably convinced himself he was doing the right thing, just like the rest of them had.

It looked like Hook was right about what he said to Henry—they really were all just idiots muddling through the best they could.

Maybe Neal would have to let go of his idiocy long enough to admit that Hook wasn't really the bad guy he'd always believed him to be. That didn't mean he had to _like_ the guy. But he was starting to see why Emma did.

Neal closed his eyes. Emma.

He wanted her to win. He wanted to her to be happy. But what if part of that happiness meant she'd end up choosing Hook. Could he handle that?

He shook his head. This wasn't something he was going to figure out, tonight. It'd have to wait until they were all safe back in Storybrooke.

He stepped softly away from the nook and headed up to join David and Mary Margaret. He'd heard all the stories he needed for one night.

* * *  
"Wow," said Henry, in genuine awe. "So you never were a vicious pirate—you were just a rebel fighting against an unjust king." He'd never imagined that the real Captain Hook could be so far different from the one he'd known about in his world.

"At first, yes," said Killain softly. "But later events made me more vicious than I'd ever wanted to be. I'd wanted to be a hero, but it didn't work out like I'd planned. Things rarely do."

Henry could hear the regret in Killian's voice. There was so much more to this story. He wanted to hear it all. "So how did you lose your hand?"

Killian sighed. "That's a story I'm not sure you're ready for."

"Why not?"

Killian stared down at his hook for a few moments and then shook his head. "It's complicated. I'll tell the story to your mum, once we're safe, and if she says I can, then I'll tell it to you. But not tonight."

Henry squeezed his lips in frustration, but nodded in agreement.

"I do have another tale that might interest you," said Killian. "Did your mother ever tell you the story of how she climbed a beanstalk to steal a magic compass from a giant?"

Henry smiled at the excitement in Killian's voice. "Nope. She didn't like to talk about her time in the Enchanted Forest. But Mary Margaret told me a little about it."

"Oh, lad. That won't do. Mary Margaret wasn't on that beanstalk with your mum. But I was. So now I'll tell you the story of what really happened. And let me say—your mum was bloody amazing."

* * *  
Emma and the others had been gone for nearly four hours, and David was getting nervous. Had something gone wrong?

He paced the cave, and then stopped to hover near Henry's nook. He could hear Hook telling Henry a story about an adventure he'd had with Emma back in the Enchanted Forest.

David smiled at the awe in Hook's voice as he described Emma's daring heroics. His daughter certainly had grown up to be one hell of a woman. He only wished he could have been there to see it.

* * *  
"And so she left me there, chained to the wall of the giant's castle," said Killian, a wistful expression on his face. "She couldn't trust me. And who can blame her. After all—I'm just a pirate."

Henry flinched as he had another brief vision of his mom, her eyes looking lost and broken, turning away as Killian called her name. He shook his head to bring himself back to the present. "You must have been pretty mad at her."

Killian nodded slowly. He looked pale and clammy. Henry was worried. It had been a long time since Killian handed over his heart.

"Aye. I was angry at her. It took me a long time to get over that anger, but once I did I saw that I'd mostly been angry at myself, for not being the kind of man she could trust. I already cared for her, right from the start, and I'd wanted her to trust me. I far rather would have worked with her than Cora. But she left me no choice." He shook his head. "But in the end it was really all my fault. Not hers. So I let it go. And I worked on becoming the sort of man she _could_ trust. How do you think I'm doing?" He smiled up at Henry.

Henry could sense the truth behind his teasing. Killian was serious about earning their trust. He was a good man, in spite of all he'd done. Henry could feel it. "You're doing amazing."

Killian let out a strained laugh. "Thank you, lad. It's nice to be appreciated at long last."

Henry took a deep breath. He knew he was about to get into awkward territory—but he had to know. "Are you in love with my mom?"

All the good humor drained from Killian's face. He stared at the blank rock wall in front of him. "You don't pull any punches, do you?"

"It's just—there's been moments, since you gave me your heart, that I felt like I could see or—or _feel_ some of your memories. It's really weird. Especially when I see my mom the way you see her."

Killian raised his eyebrows. "Yes. I'd imagine that would be rather disconcerting."

"So do you? Love her?" Henry wasn't going to let him sidestep his way out of an answer.

Killian slumped in resignation. "Aye. I do." He raised his eyes to meet Henry's gaze. "Does that bother you?"

Henry scuffed his foot against the dirt floor, his mind spinning. "Not really, I guess. You're not a bad guy. Not really. It's just not—not what I expected."

"Not what you were hoping for, you mean. You wanted things to run smooth for your mum and dad to get back together, didn't you?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. I guess I was hoping we could still be a family." The thought still hurt a little, especially after what happened with his dad and Tamara. And now his mom . . . "Do you think she loves you back?" He held his breath, waiting for an answer.

"No. I don't." Killian's eyes fell, his face looking grim. "I believe she cares about me, but there's been no time for it to become something more for her. Her only focus has been on getting you back, as it should've been. But I'd hoped that after we'd all escaped back to Storybrooke, that maybe I could find a way to win her heart." His voice grew softer. "Sorry, lad. I shouldn't burden you with this. I know perfectly well that every boy wants his parents to love each other. You're the last person I should be having this conversation with." He raised his eyes to meet Henry's gaze. "Just know that whatever your mum chooses in the end, I'll respect her decision. And I'm sorry for getting in the way of what you wanted. I truly am."

Henry closed his eyes and tried to imagine a world in which his mom and dad got together and they could all be the family he'd dreamed of since he was little. But it was getter harder and harder to make the picture work in his mind. "It's okay," he said softly. "My family's never been normal. It probably never will be, even though I wanted it to be. But even if we're never normal, we can all still be happy."

Killian smiled wanly. "That's the most anyone can ever really hope for, isn't it?"

* * *  
Tears welled in David's eyes as he listened to Henry's conversation with Hook. He knew he shouldn't be eavesdropping, but he was finally beginning to understand the same thing that Henry was—their family would never be normal. Instead, they just had to try their hardest to achieve _happy_.

Maybe Neal could give that to Emma. Maybe Hook could. Maybe neither of them. But no matter what his daughter chose, he'd love her and support her. Because that's what being a good dad meant—even if he had to learn it from a pirate.

* * *  
Emma crouched outside the sheltered valley where the spring welled, Regina and Gold at her side. Just as Neal had predicted, they'd run into several traps and ambushes on their way, but they'd made it through each and every one of them.

"This is it, dearies," hissed Gold. "Gather your strength. Pan is waiting, and we need to be ready."

Emma gritted her teeth and nodded, summoning all her memories of Henry. He was her strength, and she'd need every last ounce of it if they were going to get through this. As she felt the magic welling inside of her, a few other thoughts slipped unbidden to the front of her mind—the way Hook looked at her when he told her he'd win her heart—the fire that had filled her whole body when they'd kissed—the way he'd offered Henry his heart without a second thought. The magic welled stronger and stronger. For the first time she realized that Henry wasn't her only strength—there was more.

"Ready?" whispered Regina.

Emma nodded. "Let's go."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I had lots of fun sharing this little story with you. Here's the final chapter just in time to be an appetizer before tonight's new episode. Enjoy!

"Dad—Dad! Something's wrong!"

Neal turned with a start as Henry came running out into the main part of the cave. "What is it? What happened?"

"It's Killian." Henry pointed back at the nook. "He can't sit up anymore, and I think he's having trouble breathing. We have to do something!"

Neal followed Henry back to the nook with Mary Margaret hot on his heels. 

Hook lay limp on the bumpy ground, his face pale and strained, the sound of his labored breathing filling the small space.

Mary Margaret dropped to her knees and took Hook's hand. "It's going to be okay. You hang in there. Emma will be back soon. I know it."

Henry grabbed Neal's hand and looked up at him desperately. "We have to do something. We have to save him."

Neal pulled his son against his side and held him tight. "I don't know what more we can do."

"Maybe—maybe I can pull the heart out myself and give it back to him."

"Henry—" Neal started to protest when a weak voice broke through.

"No. No lad." Hooks voice was strained and hoarse from the effort of speaking. "By now your ties to your own heart are all but broken. If you try to take mine out, you'll die."

"But if I don't, _you'll_ die." Henry's voice shook with emotion.

"I knew it might end this way," said Hook, his eyes half open and vacant. "I'm ready."

Henry clung to Neal, shaking with his tears. "This is all my fault."

Neal could think of no way to console him but to hold him tight.

"Don't blame yourself, Henry," whispered Hook. "Just live. Live and be happy with your family. And tell—" Hook paused, wincing at some internal pain. "—tell your mum that I was thinking of her, at the end. Tell her she deserves all the happiness in the word."

Henry nodded, and then buried his face against Neal's chest.

Neal had never thought it would end like this. He'd thought Emma would be back in time.

He cleared his throat. "Can I have a minute alone with my old friend?"

Mary Margaret nodded and rose, pulling Henry close against her side and leading him away from the nook. Neal crouched down beside Hook and took his hand. "Tell me the truth. That day on your ship, when I was just a kid—that day the Lost Boys came for me. If I'd changed my mind—if I'd told you I wanted to stay with you—what would you have done?"

Hook wore a thin smile as he gazed up at Neal. "I'd have killed every last one of them and sailed away as far and as fast as I could, until Pan finally gave up the chase."

A hard lump filled Neal's throat. "That would've been one hell of a fight."

The corners of Hook's mouth curled into a faint smile. "Aye. Likely would've gotten us all killed in the process. In the long run we're probably better off where we are."

Neal chuckled and shook his head. "No way to know for sure, is there?"

Hook closed his eyes and sighed. "No. We're stuck with what we've got—for better or for worse."

* * *  
Emma's chest felt tight when she saw the row of four bodies lined up outside the cave on skull island, and she clutched her satchel a little closer to her body—the satchel that carried her most prized possession. Henry's heart.

She'd pulled it out of Pan's chest with her own hand, and cradled it gently in her palms. She'd never held Henry after he was born, but she could imagine that if she had, it would have felt a lot like it did when she held his fluttering heart.

She hoped to god he was safe.

David greeted her at the cave entrance with a brilliant smile. "You're back! You did it!"

"We did," said Emma, smiling with relief. "We have his heart." Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her and her voice shook as she spoke.

"Is Pan dead?" David asked.

Gold stepped forward, shaking his head, with Regina beside him. "Not dead. But defeated. Beaten. Ground down. He'll not stop us from escaping. We're free."

Emma didn't need to hear the recap. There was only one thing she needed right now.

Her heart leaped with joy and a broad smile spread across her face as Henry dashed toward her, looking as strong and healthy as ever.

But her heart sank at the look of sorrow on his face.

"Mom—you have to help him! Come on!" He grabbed her hand, yanking her further into the cave.

"Help who?"

"Killian! He needs you, Mom."

"Killian?" It took her just a moment to remember Hook's real name as it fell from her lips.

Henry pulled her to a small nook at the back of the cave, where Neal stood, his back to her, looking at the ground. He turned to meet her eyes, and her breath caught in her throat. His eyes were red, and his voice shook when he spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Emma. He stopped breathing a few minutes ago. There was nothing we could do."

No. No. This couldn't be happening.

It was like something out of a bad dream as Neal stepped aside and Henry led Emma into the nook.

Hook— _Killian_ —lay stretched out, perfectly still, on the dirt floor. Gone were his smirks and taunting smiles. Gone was his intense gaze. All that remained was a frozen, ashen mask, his eyes closed forever. 

Mary Margaret sat beside him, gently stroking his hand. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry Emma," she whispered.

Emma froze, and a deep, wrenching sob rose from her chest. All the tears she'd held back when Graham died—all the tears she hadn't had time for when Neal fell through that portal—now threatened to rise up all at once. Oh god no. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She sobbed again and stumbled, catching herself on David, who'd come up from behind her.

"Mom! Stop!" cried Henry. "It's not too late." 

Too late. Of course it was too late. Some people weren't lucky enough to get a happy ending. Is that really what she'd thought he'd be?

"Mom?" Henry gripped her hand, his tone insistent.

She shook her head. "He's—he's gone." Her words came out on the back of another sob.

_Gone_. He couldn't be gone. Not after she'd gotten so used to him being there every time she needed him. Not when she'd gotten so used to the sound of his voice—to his smile.

"No!" insisted Henry. "He's not. His heart is still beating inside of me. I can still feel a part of him in it. If we give it back to him, he'll be okay. I know he will."

Emma couldn't take it. "That's not how it works! Gone is gone, Henry!"

"Not here, it's not!" he shouted back. "You thought dad was gone, too, but here he is. This is Neverland. In this world if you believe something hard enough, it can come true. You just have to believe."

Emma closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath to calm the sobs. _Believe_. She'd believed enough to stop Pan.

Why couldn't she believe this?

"Mom," Henry said softer, still tugging on her hand. "I believe strong enough for the both of us. We have to try."

Emma swallowed her tears and nodded. The kid was right. She had to try. After all the miracles she'd seen—all the miracles she'd been a part of—there might be a chance for one more.

"Do you have my heart?" he asked earnestly.

She nodded and slipped her hand into the satchel, pulling out her precious cargo. Immediately it filled her with warmth and hope. If she could hold her little boy's heart in her hand and give it back to him—maybe anything was possible.

"Give it back to me, Mom," Henry said. "Give it back to me, and take Killian's heart back."

Emma glanced up to where Regina now stood. She nodded. "You can do this, Emma. You've done it once before, and you can do it again."

Emma steadied her breath and brought the heart closer to Henry's chest. "Here goes nothing," she whispered.

She slid her hand into his chest as easily as if she were sliding it into water. His strong, bright heart slipped easily into place as a different heart settled into her palm. She pulled it out.

Killian's heart didn't blaze as brightly as Henry's had, but it still glowed, beating strong and steady in her hand. As she held it she thought she could smell the breeze blowing off the ocean, and hear the wind whipping in the sails.

Henry smiled. "Do it, Mom. I believe."

Emma knew by now that the power of Henry's belief was never something to underestimate.

Slowly she knelt beside Hook's prone body, and Mary Margaret beamed at her through her tears. "I believe in you, Emma."

Emma lowered her hand into Hook's chest. Already his body felt cool to the touch, instead of warm and vibrant like Henry's. She held her breath as his heart settled into place, pulled out her hand, and waited.

Nothing happened. Not a twitch. Not a breath. Nothing.

No. No no no no.

"Come on, Hook. You promised me you'd still be here. Don't make a liar of yourself. Come on!" She heard her voice rising in pitch as she grew more desperate.

She leaned over him and grabbed the lapels of his coat, shaking him. "Wake up, Hook! Wake up! Why could you hold on another ten minutes, you son of bitch? Wake up!" Another sob shook her body. "Don't leave me," she whispered, leaning close to his face. "I wasn't ready for you to go." Henry believed. Why wasn't that enough? Why did this stupid pirate have to go and ruin everything? It wasn't fair. She felt her anger rising. Why did he have to go and die right after he made her care about him? She shook him again. "No. God damn it, I'm not ready to give up on you! Wake up, Killian! Wake up!" 

She felt a surge of magic flow out of her and into his body, like a jolt of electricity.

Killian started to cough.

Emma released his lapels and sank back on her knees, laughing and crying.

* * *  
As Mary Margaret watched Emma shouting and crying over Killian's body, she saw herself. It was just like watching herself crying as King George's soldiers pulled David away from her. It was just like she'd felt when David told her he could never leave Neverland.

Her heart broke for her daughter, and then healed itself again as Killian coughed and fluttered his eyes.

This wasn't the happy ending she'd expected for her daughter, but sometimes life doesn't play out the way you expect.

She laughed and cried along with Emma as Killian's blue eyes opened and stared up at them.

* * *  
"Emma," he gasped her name, and she felt the same strength flowing through her that she'd felt outside the mountain spring.

"I'm here, Killian. I'm back."

He blinked a few more times, as if still getting his bearings, before his gaze settled on Henry smiling down at him. "Henry. You're—you're alright?"

Emma laughed again as Henry nodded and said, "Yes. My mom did it. She saved us."

Killian smiled and sighed. "What did I say? Never bet against your mum."

"Or you'll lose every time," finished Henry.

Emma couldn't stop smiling. She swiped at her tears with the back of her hand.

Killian propped himself up on his elbows and raised one eyebrow. "Are you crying over me, lass?" he teased.

Emma sniffled and shook her head. "You wish." The man could never be serious about anything, could he? But would she really want him to be?

Killian's face softened. "I could never wish to see you cry, Emma."

Her heart jumped in her chest, and she had to look away. She wasn't ready to deal with her feelings for this man. Not here—not now—not in front of her whole family.

He seemed to understand. He finished sitting up and looked around at all the people staring down at him, relieved smiles on all their faces. "So—are we ready to go home?"

* * *  
Though Neal had seen more than enough magic over the last few weeks to last him a lifetime, he didn't put up a fight when his dad and Regina combined their powers to transport everyone to the cove where the Jolly Roger was anchor in a puff of magical smoke. They were all too exhausted for the hike back through the jungle.

Regina poofed away in another puff of smoke to go collect Tink and Wendy, and Hook started prepping the row boat to take the first set of passengers out to the ship. But David and Mary Margaret hung back, clinging to each other's hands with a death grip.

Oh—crap. Neal had almost forgotten about their predicament.

Time to talk to his dad.

"Hey," said Neal, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "So, we have a little problem." He told his dad what had happened to David. "Can you do something to fix it?"

His dad nodded slowly. "It's possible. When we defeated Pan the water of that spring changed—forever altered. That might loosen its power over David. Let's take a look, shall we?"

They walked over to where the couple stood.

His dad spoke. "Bae tells me you have a little problem, and I'm here to see if I can fix it."

Mary Margaret's face lit up. "Do you really think you can?"

"There's a chance."

Emma and Henry jogged over to join them with Hook close behind. "Wait," said Emma, "did I just here you say you could help David get off the island?"

"I could ascertain that a bit faster if you would all stop talking," snapped Neal's dad as he looked David up and down, like he was appraising an antique. He nodded slowly. "I do believe I can help."

"Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to us," said David.

Neal's dad held up one finger. "Not so fast. First, there's a matter of payment."

Neal shook his head. "Bullshit. Not everything has to be a deal. Don't you get that, yet? You don't have to do it because he owes you—you do it because it's the right thing to do. Because he's family." If his dad hadn't figured this out by now, he wasn't sure if he ever would.

His dad held his gaze and then nodded shortly. "You're right, son. Old habits are hard to break—but you're right." He turned back to David. "It would be my pleasure to help."

A short while later, after his dad had worked the spell to free David from the island and they'd all rowed out to the Jolly Roger, Neal stood on deck watching Henry and Emma lean against the rail together, looking out to sea.

He never wanted Henry to feel about him the way he felt about his own dad. His eyes turned to Hook, where he stood fixing the rigging on one of his sails.

Neal had seen the look on Emma's face when she thought Hook was dead. And then he'd seen her joy when she brought him back. It was time for him to accept the fact that Emma was ready to move on—to love someone new. Even if it was the last man on earth Neal would have wanted her to choose.

He'd probably never like Hook, but over the past day he'd learned to respect him. And if Emma really did choose to be with him, Neal would have to respect that, too. He'd bite his tongue and step aside. Because that would be the only way to stay in Henry's life.

They'd never have the kind of traditional family that kids grow up wanting, but that didn't mean they couldn't have a good family. And Neal intended to make it the best family he could. For Henry's sake.

* * *  
The passage back to their own realm had been smooth sailing, and Emma couldn't be more relieved. She was ready for calm and uneventful—she'd had her fill of adventure. Or, at least adventure of the life-and-death variety.

She wrapped her arm around Henry's shoulder and squeezed him close. "Almost home," she murmured, staring at the dark smudge of land on the horizon.

After a few moments of silence, Henry spoke. "Mom—I've been thinking. I know you were really frustrated at the way I kept trying to get you and dad back together. And I'm sorry. I'm done now. If you decide you want to be together, that's awesome. But if you decide your happy ending is with someone else, I'm finally okay with that. I just want both of you to be happy."

Emma's eyes went wide for a moment. "Wow. Okay. I—didn't really expect that."

Henry shrugged. "I guess I did a little growing up on Neverland."

"Yeah you did." The Henry from two weeks ago certainly never would have had this particular epiphany. But she was glad that he had. She loved Neal, and a part of her always would. But more and more she was coming to believe that they could never really have a future together. There was too much baggage and pain in the way. But she was beginning to think they could be friends. And her time in Storybrooke had taught her that a person could never have too many friends.

"I love you, Mom. No matter what."

"I love you too, kid," she said, leaning over to kiss the top of his head.

As the Maine coast grew clearer in the distance, she ruffled his hair and said, "Regina looks a little lonely over there. How about you go spend a little time with her before we get home?"

Henry nodded and jogged across the deck to join his other mother.

Emma sighed and turned her gaze toward the helm, where Killian stood steering the ship. She had a feeling that Henry's little conversation just now had been a not-so-subtle way of granting her permission to figure out whatever it was she had going with the pirate. There was definitely something there. She just wasn't quite sure what it was, yet.

She turned and climbed the stairs to stand next to him.

"Hello, love," he said with a smile, sending a little thrill down her spine. It felt so good to see him back in his usual form after what had happened in the cave. Just thinking about it still made her heart hurt. She hadn't expected to feel so much for him, but now there was no denying that she did.

"Hey," she said, "I just want to thank you, again, for everything you did back there in Neverland. There's no way we all would have been coming home together if it hadn't been for you."

He smirked mischievously at her. "You're most welcome. And most right. You'd have been lost and ruined without me along. It's a good thing I decided to come."

Emma rolled her eyes. "So I guess humility is out of the question?"

Killian grinned. "Is humility really what you want from me, darling?"

She shook her head and couldn't help but smile. "No. I suppose it isn't." She glanced back at the still-distant shore. Okay. They had a little time. "Hey—do you have a way to lock that wheel into place for a minute?"

"Why?" Killian raised an eyebrow.

"So I can kiss you."

That got his attention. He immediately snapped a latch into place to hold the wheel steady and spun to face her, spreading his arms wide. "I am at your disposal."

Emma laughed. God, it felt good to laugh again. 

He held her gaze as she closed the distance between them. She raised both her hands to rest them against his chest. She felt the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath her palms. She'd never take something as simple as a heartbeat for granted again.

She must have stared at his chest for a little too long, because he spoke up. "Do you plan on pulling it back out again? Because you don't need to be holding it to lay your claim. It already belongs to you."

Tingles filled Emma's whole body and she grinned. "How do you make such cheesy lines sound so amazing?"

"It's a gift," he whispered leaning closer to her face, his intense blue eyes captivating her.

Emma closed the distance between them. 

This kiss started out soft and slow, but it sent every bit as much fire searing through her veins as their first kiss had. She slid one of her hands down and around his back beneath his coat, pulling his slim, firm body even closer as his lips moved against hers with a needy passion. But she left her other hand on his heart, feeling it start to race.

_Hers_. She liked the sound of that.

After a few thrilling moments she broke the kiss, breathing deep as she pulled back. He leaned closer, nuzzling her face with his nose, wordlessly asking for more.

Emma smiled. "Sorry. Don't want to get to intense with my entire family watching."

He finally drew back, his smile playful and as happy as she'd ever seen. "So when _can_ we get too intense?"

She rolled her eyes again and stepped back from him, dropping her hand. He wasn't the only one who wanted to get _intense_ , but she wasn't about to let him know. Not yet.

"When I'm ready," she said firmly.

He sighed and nodded. "Understood."

She took a deep breath. "Look, Killian, I don't know what this thing between us is, yet. I need you to be patient with me. Right now my first priority is getting my family settled back into our homes, and trying to pull my life back into some semblance of normal. But I do know that whatever that normal turns out to be, I want you to be a part of it. Okay?"

"Nothing would make me happier."

She actually believed him. Her smile widened. "Okay. So—I'm heading back down to my family now. Go back to your steering. Get us home safe."

"As you wish." His eyes gleamed in the bright sunlight as he bowed with a flourish.

She couldn’t stop beaming as she headed down the stairs and back to her waiting family.

* * *  
David had never felt happier than he did now, watching his large, strange family all walking down the gangplank together—safe and sound.

They'd done the impossible. And now they could all, finally, start their lives together.

He hung back as Mary Margaret followed Emma and Henry off the ship, and turned back to look at Hook.

The pirate was leaning against the mainmast, watching them all go.

David gestured for him to follow. "Come on. We're all going to get a good hot meal at Granny's. Join us."

Hook shook his head. "I thought you'd like to keep it a family affair, mate."

David strode up to Hook and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Your heart lived in my grandson's chest for nearly six hours. You're the only reason he's still alive—and the only reason all of us are home safe. As far as I'm concerned, that makes you family." He gestured again. "So come on."

Hook's smile was oddly timid as he nodded. "Very well then."

They headed down the gangplank together and went to join the family.

The End


End file.
